Which assessments are available?
Audiology
This assessment confirms your child's degree of hearing loss and their hearing thresholds when wearing their hearing aids or cochlear implant. Our audiologist may also assess how well your child is able to perceive speech in different conditions (e.g. with and without background noise). The audiologist will be able to discuss any audiological concerns that you may have, including whether hearing aids are appropriate, whether a radio aid may be helpful in school and the types of acoustic conditions and modifications your child might need in his, or her, classroom to aid their ability to listen.
Speech & Language
The speech & language therapist will use both informal talking and formal assessments to discover how your child is currently functioning in different areas of communication skills (including understanding language, expressive language, vocabulary, speech clarity and social interaction skills).
Your child's abilities using spoken language alone, Sign Supported English, and BSL will be assessed as appropriate. His, or her, ability to understand language supported by the written word may also be assessed. The results of the assessments can be discussed and applied to issues including the level and type of support your child currently needs to support the development of his or her communication skills. This might include consideration of direct speech and language therapy, as well as ideas on how your child may need to be supported throughout the school day. Sometimes parents wish to find out which mode of communication is currently best for their child and this can also be discussed.
Educational Psychology
The educational psychologist will use formal assessments to discover how your child is functioning in terms of his or her thinking skills. This will include different areas of non-verbal thinking skills and may also include verbal skills, if appropriate. The educational psychologist may also assess your child's reading, speaking and mathematical skills. An important aspect of the educational psychology assessment is that the parents are involved and are encouraged to provide information that informs the assessment.
In the case of very young children, the major part of the assessment will be a parent questionnaire. Sometimes parents of children have other aspects of school life that they wish to discuss with the educational psychologist, such as bullying. The results of the educational psychologist's assessments can be used to inform issues including: whether there are any underlying specific or general learning difficulties; the level of support that the child needs in school; and any specific support that might be of benefit.
